WILDLIFE in Herefordshire will be receiving a boost over the next four years with the appointment of Neville Hart as Herefordshire Nature Trust's new reserves' manager.

The appointment is possible due to the trust's successful Heritage Lottery Fund grant application made last year.

Recently, the trust was given the go-ahead to start nearly £540,000 of improvements in the county.

Neville, from the north-east of England, has 10 years' experience in managing conservation projects for BTCV.

The Heritage Lottery Fund grant will enable the trust to update reserve management plans, instigate appropriate management on the reserves and undertake valuable survey work to provide a greater understanding of the range of habitats and species that exist within these reserves.

"I believe that my previous reserve management experience has prepared me for the exciting and challenging task of co-ordinating this project," said Neville. "We have a big task ahead entailing a lot of work over the next four years, but I believe that this project will create opportunities both for the trust and people in the county, enabling them to do something positive for wildlife."

Neville will co-ordinate the implementation of practical measures to help conserve the wealth of flora and fauna that rely on the trust's nature reserves for their survival.

Scarce butterflies such as the pearl bordered fritillary and the silver washed fritillary will benefit from improved habitats through woodland coppicing at the trust's Woodside Reserve in the south of the county.

A number of orchards owned by the trust will be managed to help a variety of interesting bees, bumble bees and bullfinches, a nationally declining species that remain in good numbers in Herefordshire.

The county is also a stronghold for the dormouse, a species that inhabits the ancient, semi-natural woodland reserves owned by the trust and will benefit from additional management made possible by this grant.